Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-01-14

The Subject Discussed at the Presbyfe.
rian Church Last Night.

rfan Church Last Night.
Temptation, said the pastor of the Pres
byterian Church. last night, has been lik-
cned TO a spider casting its thread before
the worm. As it turns to get beyond the
obstruction, the spider casts its thread
again, until it has the worm fast in its
tolls.
1t has been Hkened to fog on a dan
gerons coast Icebcrgs are frequent, sail
ing along as silently as death, and as
heartless and relentless as death in the
destruction they bring about.
Boston says, that temptation is the fire
that brings up the scum of the corrupt
heart. Fenelon says, IL is the file that
takes off our self confidence.
When we know the power of tempta-
ton we look upon the wanderings of our
fellow-men not in anger but in pity
What a struggle many have had in battling
with temptation. When reproved for
yielding to temptation, in entering the
drinking saloon, a poor woman burst
into tears, and exclaimed, Il can't pass
ii alone" The good Mrs. Fry, who did
so much to lift many men and women
out Of their degradation, declared that
she had more fear in entering palaces
than she had in entering prisons. The
than the temptations attending an hum
BILE position. "Woe to us, says one, IF
n great temptation comes when we are far
from Christ" How often have good
men, in an unguarded~ moment, fallen
before the evil one.
Since temptation has such power over
the best Of us, it is folly to ignore 1t. 1t
is very unwise to take no account of it
and go on as If it were not in our way
When we encounter temptation, we ought
TO feel that If we struggle manfully with
il and overcome by Gods grace, we shall
be all the stronger for the next that will
come to us. If we fall before il we shall
be weaker in the next conflict. Some
have yielded SO often TO temptation that
they have lost all power of resistance,
and Satan has an easy conquest in their
case
A father took his son to place where
men were fighting, after that to where a
maniac was confined, and to see a family
in its wretchedness. lie said to him, do
you ask what has done all this? Yield
ing to the tempter has brought all this
degradation and sorrow" That son
shrunk with fear from such exhibitions
of Satan's work, and desired TO be
strengthened for better life A young
man was importuned to spend night in
dissipation. He refused His tempter
said What fool you are" "Wait r
said he, land we will see who is the fool .
Tn few years one was filling a dishon-
ored grave, and the other was rising in
affluence and influence.
Prisoners who have filled out their time
in the prison, have requested the authori-
ties to let them stay, so that they might
escape the temptations of the companions
who were awaiting their release.
Now, whatever shows the misery that
follows temptation weakens its power
BY reading Gods word. by looking at the
niserics of our fellow men, and by look
ing into our own experience, we can see
the terrible effects of SIM But this view
of sin is not enough. We need to be
strengthened by Gods blessed spirit
In answer to prayer, we may obtain the
help we need in our own conflicts with
the temptations of life
Then, in the case of others, let us feel
that our fellow men have fallen where we
ourselves have stumbled. IL the tempta.
ton had been only little stronger where
we faltered, we would have gone down
before it,
Satan does the best he can to pull down,
to degrade, to destroy. The religion OF
Christ lifts us up. 1t ennobles. 1t re-
pairs the ruin sin has made. 1t regener
ates and saves This is the only thing in
which we can trust in our conflicts with
the tempter. It's instruction and help we
need to overcome the enemy OF our souls.